PROJECT SUMMARY (Overall) Human health in Zimbabwe is threatened by non-communicable diseases including cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Despite the contribution of NCDs to poor health outcomes in Zimbabwe, there are limited evidence- based national guidelines for the management of major NCDs through primary care approaches. The goal of this P20 planning grant application is to establish the Initiative for a Non-communicable disease Centre of Research Excellence in Zimbabwe (AfriCARE) at the University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences (UZCHS) to facilitate the research needed to establish evidence-based approaches to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer and cardiovascular disease, and thereby decrease mortality from these NCDs in Zimbabwe and the southern African region. The long term goal of AfriCARE is to increase the quality, quantity and impact of research in cancer and cardiovascular disease. This will be accomplished by increasing scientific collaborations in these diseases between investigators at UZCHS and investigators in high income countries; strengthening the capacity of investigators at UZCHS to conduct cutting edge research to better understand the epidemiology and pathogenesis, and improve diagnosis and treatment of cancer and cardiovascular disease in Zimbabwe; and establishing the evidence base needed to inform public health policy to improve care of these diseases in Zimbabwe.